Big Ten Supposedly Accelerates Expansion Timeline

[jficke13]

people mind.

[avid1010]

The thing thats drives me crazy about this is people scream from the rooftops about NCAA tourney expansion because "its only about $$$".  But nobody seems to mind that the Big Ten is expanding "for nothing but $$"

Maybe I'm missing something?

If a team switches conferences and makes more money, the school gets the money.

If the NCAA expands the field to make more money, the money goes to other NCAA sporting events. 

[LON]

So instead of one big conference of suck when it comes to football they will have two divisions of it?  So they can play a Big Ten Championship game of mediocrity?

Awesome.

Can I say "No" to the Big Ten Network yet?  When will I be able to?

[Litehouse]

Can I say "No" to the Big Ten Network yet?  When will I be able to?

That's the tricky part for the BTN in the future.  If a la carte pricing ever comes to cable, that $20M per team is going to shrink dramatically.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

I'm reading these comments on ND and the B11 and I'm just not sure adding ND would be that great for the B11. Are they really going to get that much more viewership and marketshare by adding a school that's not only in the middle of B11 territory already but in a state with 2 B11 teams already?? It really seems to me the optimal move is another big state school.

[Nukem2]

In the end, why don't the BCS football schools carve out their football programs from the schools and the NCAA and have each school create a wholly-owned football subsidiary and enter into a giant football league which would be a feeder for the NFL.  This way, the subsidiaries would not have student athletes, just simply pay guys above the board and the kids would not have to go to school but would live in lavish quarters on campus.  The teams would still be aligned with the schools, so fans would not know the diffference.  Could have 16 game schedules with four division of 16 teams with playoffs and a mini-Super Bowl.   Call it the CFL ( the "College" Football League).  All other sports programs would remain under the auspices of the NCAA and feature student-athletes (for the most part).

[brewcity77]

I'm reading these comments on ND and the B11 and I'm just not sure adding ND would be that great for the B11. Are they really going to get that much more viewership and marketshare by adding a school that's not only in the middle of B11 territory already but in a state with 2 B11 teams already?? It really seems to me the optimal move is another big state school.

What big state school would compare to Notre Dame? How many other universities have their own contract with NBC? Notre Dame is a team that people either love, or love to hate. They would be pure gold for the B10.

[Litehouse]

In the end, why don't the BCS football schools carve out their football programs from the schools and the NCAA and have each school create a wholly-owned football subsidiary and enter into a giant football league which would be a feeder for the NFL.  This way, the subsidiaries would not have student athletes, just simply pay guys above the board and the kids would not have to go to school but would live in lavish quarters on campus.  The teams would still be aligned with the schools, so fans would not know the diffference.  Could have 16 game schedules with four division of 16 teams with playoffs and a mini-Super Bowl.   Call it the CFL ( the "College" Football League).  All other sports programs would remain under the auspices of the NCAA and feature student-athletes (for the most part).

I thought they already did that, but it's called the SEC.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Hmm, not sure. I just don't see ND today, in 2010, having the same kind of pull. Is the B11 going to get that big of a ratings boost out of nostalgia? It may, but I'd be very surprised if it does.

[Nukem2]

I thought they already did that, but it's called the SEC.

The SEC needs to expand...

[GOO]

If ND joins the Big ten their image takes a big hit. Instead of a national program/school will they be viewed as a Midwest program that plays a boring brand of football?  I bet ND would only join if the big 10 also adds some east coast schools such as Rutgers and Syracuse. But the big 10 presidents probably would like to add one school to get to 12. The presidents will be thinking more about the school aspect then just the football aspect. Sure would be nice if espn would step up and help the big east, but that doesn't seem to in the cards.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Let me add another ND thought. Is a ND type of school the wave of the future? A small-ish private school with a much smaller group of alumni (followers is obv. another story) than, say, Missouri or PITT? ND might have been all that a generation ago, and is still a pretty important place today, but (and feel free to ridicule this b/c fate might have me wrong on it) I really have to wonder if Notre Dame and Boston College and Nova aren't just one generation away from being a Marquette or DePaul or St. John's. We'll see ... I do hope I'm wrong, but the path of Catholic schools has been inexorable and lamentable the past generation plus.

No man can live off nostalgia alone.

[Wareagle]

Let me add another ND thought. Is a ND type of school the wave of the future? A small-ish private school with a much smaller group of alumni (followers is obv. another story) than, say, Missouri or PITT? ND might have been all that a generation ago, and is still a pretty important place today, but (and feel free to ridicule this b/c fate might have me wrong on it) I really have to wonder if Notre Dame and Boston College and Nova aren't just one generation away from being a Marquette or DePaul or St. John's. We'll see ... I do hope I'm wrong, but the path of Catholic schools has been inexorable and lamentable the past generation plus.

No man can live off nostalgia alone.

I don't think so, simply because of the $$$ the alumni base pours into football.  The school's undergrad business school, MBA and law school act as feeders to the Chicagoland market, so there is no shortage of rich alums. 

The other trend operating in concert is the fact that private institutions are trending upward in the undergraduate and professional school rankings, which will lead to the effect I mentioned above continuing.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

The other trend operating in concert is the fact that private institutions are trending upward in the undergraduate and professional school rankings, which will lead to the effect I mentioned above continuing.

Are you sure? That surprises me. I guess I can see a few private schools accelerating (the Harvards of the world are likely to always be on top), but as a portion of the top 50 schools (US News ranking or whatnot), I would bet/guess that the private school percent is decreasing.

Again, I hope like hell I'm wrong, but it seems like we've been moving relentlessly on this path for decades and I won't be surprised if ND gets caught up in that path.

[GGGG]

I lived in Texas for a few years and a buddy of mine down there says that Texas is using this as leverage to get their own network in the state of Texas.  That will be on 100% of cable/satelite networks down there.

My guess would be someone like Missouri and it will be just 1 team.

Texas doesnt need the big ten to generate this extra $$ and more if it wants to.  neither does a&m.  Problem would be what are the dominos that would follow.  You can be sure the Big 12 would not want to lose it conf champsionship game if 1 team leaves.  So they would then look to poach someone.

The thing thats drives me crazy about this is people scream from the rooftops about NCAA tourney expansion because "its only about $$$".  But nobody seems to mind that the Big Ten is expanding "for nothing but $$"

I don't doubt this one bit.  I do know some B12 fans who are very wary of Texas and A&M, because unlike the B10, they do not distribute television revenue equally. 

[Wareagle]

Are you sure? That surprises me. I guess I can see a few private schools accelerating (the Harvards of the world are likely to always be on top), but as a portion of the top 50 schools (US News ranking or whatnot), I would bet/guess that the private school percent is decreasing.

Again, I hope like hell I'm wrong, but it seems like we've been moving relentlessly on this path for decades and I won't be surprised if ND gets caught up in that path.

If you look at the top, the public schools, in general, are sliding a bit.  There are only 7 public schools in the top 25 for law schools, 9 for MBA schools and 3 for the National Universities ranking (US News Ranking).  Notre Dame is in the top 25 for law and National, and just outside for the MBA program.  I don't know how this compares to the "middle" or top 50, but Notre Dame is essentially playing a different game than DePaul or St. Johns.     

[ChicosBailBonds]

One of the reasons the other conferences haven't done this yet is cost.  When the Big Ten did it, 49% of it was covered by FOX (at the time, part of our company).  The economy was much different.  With dollars so tight these days, making that huge bet is tough for many reasons.  Besides, ESPN is a tremendous footprint for the SEC, Big East, ACC, etc.  But there will continue to be more deals like this, the risk is the capital spent to build it out and whether they can get distribution to pay off that investment.